A Sexy And Tasteful Illustrated History Of Women’s Swimwear

From string bikinis to high-waisted bottoms and cutouts, bathing suit options are endless these days — patterns and styles exist for everyone and every body type.

But that wasn’t always the case. The swimwear we recognize today didn’t really emerge until the early 1900s, and as the following images show, women’s swimwear has definitely come a long way since then:

In the early 1800s people began to flock to beaches for sunny (and water-filled) amusement, which called for water-activity appropriate clothing.

In that time, modesty was key. Women wore long bathing dresses with weights to hold down the dress in the water and bloomers or stockings. Photo: Kean Collection/Getty Images

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Bathing machines (seen above) were designed to protect the modesty of bathers. Pulled to the edge of the sea by horses, they were moved according to the tides. Would-be bathers then could enter the machine at the back fully clothed and emerge in a swimming costume straight into the sea. Photo: Flickr

A woman models the latest in beach costumes in 1918. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images

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In the early 1900s, bathing suits no longer camouflaged the contours of the female body. The heavy fabrics were reduced to show a little more of the woman's figure and to allow for exposure to the sun. Photo: Wikimedia

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Three young women pose in swimsuits and their swimming competition medals. Photo: Trialsanderrors/Flickr

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The one-piece garment seen above was the norm around 1910. Though matching stockings were occasionally worn, vintage swimwear began to shrink, exposing more and more flesh. Photo: Anyjazz65/Flickr

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In the 1920s and early 1930s body hugging suits were in style. They were less restrictive and were cut at the upper thighs. Photo: STAFF AFP/Getty Images

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Filattering a woman's figure became the focus of the 1940s with elements like sweetheart necklines and ruching. Photo: Marion Hobbs/Flickr